For Zombie Microbes, Deep-Sea Buffet is Just Out of Reach
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 21 January 2019
WHOI researchers found that zombie-like microbes deep beneath the ocean floor survive near ancient, usable carbon, but can’t access it—possibly due to mineral binding or sheer distance. The study may inform the search for life on other planets.
Keywords: extraterrestrial life, geochemistry, ocean floor, microbial metabolism, Nature Geoscience, R/V Knorr, R/V Revelle
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Flows More Rapidly in Warm Phases
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 24 June 2021
Researchers found that during the last interglacial period, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) flowed faster than today. A future acceleration due to warming could reduce oceanic CO₂ absorption, intensifying climate change.
Keywords: absorption, global warming, ocean currents, Nature Communications, marine sediment analysis, paleo-data, West Wind Drift
Start of the Citizen Science Project ‘UndercoverEisAgenten’
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 1 July 2021
The UndercoverEisAgenten project enlists citizens to help track Arctic permafrost thaw via drone and satellite images. Coordinated by AWI, it improves data collection, public engagement, and forecasts of climate-driven permafrost degradation.
Keywords: UndercoverEisAgenten, Canada, Germany, education, methane release, carbon emissions, remote sensing, BMBF
